Davis & Boldin channeling Rice & Owens at midway point

A year after Michael Crabtree became the 49ers’ first 1,000-yard pass-catcher since 2003, both wide receiver Anquan Boldin and tight end Vernon Davis and are on pace to crack 1,000 yards this season.

At the season’s midway point, Boldin is on pace for 1,102 yards and Davis is on target for a 1,036-yard season, despite missing a game with a hamstring injury.

Anquan Boldin and Vernon Davis (background) are on pace to combine for 2,138 receiving yards. (AP)

The 49ers haven’t had two 1,000-yard pass-catchers since 1998 when Jerry Rice (1,157 yards) and Terrell Owens (1,097) both hit four digits in Steve Young’s last full season.

Unlike that ’98 team, this season’s 49ers don’t have a prolific air attack: They rank 32nd in the NFL in passing yards per game (189.9).

So how are Boldin and Davis channeling Rice and Owens? Their solid seasons are a testament to their talent, and to the dearth of other options on the current roster. Fullback Bruce Miller ranks third in receptions (13) and receiving yards (158), while Boldin and Davis have accounted for all of Colin Kaepernick’s nine touchdown passes.

The passing attack, of course, figures to receive a boost with the pending additions of wide receivers Mario Manningham and Crabtree. Manningham could be added to the 53-man roster today, while Crabtree appears on pace to return at some point this month.

“Got a chance to watch (Crabtree) work out about a week ago and was very, very encouraged with what I saw,” offensive coordinator Greg Roman said last week on KNBR. “Surprised, I guess, would be a good word, too, in the sense of what he was doing and how he was doing it.”

Manningham and Crabtree will likely cut into the numbers of Boldin and Davis, who have accounted for 59 percent of the 49ers’ receptions and 67 percent of their receiving yards.

With that in mind, the 49ers don’t figure to have two 1,000-yard pass-catchers for the first time in 15 years, but they’ll presumably be better off spreading the wealth.